r puckett



Nov. 12, 1929.

P. R. PUCKETT 1,735,545 PORTABLE ELECTRIC HAND LAMP Filed Sept. 21. 1927 2 Shegts-Sheet 1 Nov. 12, 1929.

P. R. PUCKETT PORTABLE ELECTRIC HAND LAMP Filed Sept. 21, 1927' gshaets-sheet 2 Patented Nov. 12, 1929 UNITED sra'rss ra'rsn'r castes FAUL R. IPUCKETT, OF ATLANTA, GEORGIA, ASSIGNCR TO CHASE COMPANIES INC, OF WATER/BURY, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION PORTABLE ELECTRIC HAND LAMP Application filed September 21, 1927. Serial No. 220,900.

My invention relates to an improvement in portable electric handlamps, popularly called flashlights, the object being to produce, at a low cost for manufacture, a simple, compact, durable and convenient lamp of the character described, constructed with particular reference to ease of manufacture and reliability in use.

With these ends in view, my invention consists in a-portable electric hand-lamp characterized by a plate-like disk-shaped switchmember located in a plane at a right angle to its axis and held in place by its periphery.

My invention further consists in a lamp characterized as above and having its switchmember provided with an outwardly-projecting finger-piece, by which it is operated.

- My invention further consists in a lamp characterized as above and having means for applying variable friction-restraint to the movement of its disk-shaped switch-member.

My invention further consists, in a lamp characterized as above and having certain other details of construction and combinaparticularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of one form which a portable electric hand-lamp embodying my invention may assume;

Fig. 2'is a plan view of the outer or forward end thereof;

Fig. 3 is a broken enlarged view thereof in longitudinal section on the line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a view thereof in transverse section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a detached perspective view of the switch-member Fig. 6 is a similar view of the insulating- Fig. 8 is a broken view in elevation of the upper or forward end of one of the modified forms which my improved lamp may assume; Fig. 9 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view thereof on the line 9-9 of Fig. 8;

'Fig. 10 is a broken detached, perspective view of the switch-member of the of Figs. 8 and 9; and

Fig. 11 is a detached view in longitudinal section of one of the modified forms which the cap of my improved lamp may assume.

by its periphery, rather than by pivots. The said cap 19 is formed with the usual threaded skirt 21, adapting it to be screwed over the enlarged, threaded outer or forward end 22 of the casing 17. The upper edge of the cap is turned inwardly to form a retaining-flange 23 which engages with the usual plano-convex lens 24:,the edgeof the inner face of which rests upon the outer edge of the. insulatingring 18 aforesaid.

The plate-like disk-shaped switchmember is formed upon one side with a finger-piece 25 extending outwardly through a slot 26 in the cap 19, this finger-piece providing for the oscillation of the switch, as well as for the convenient suspension of the lamp as occasion may require. The said finger-piece also constitutes an anti-rolling device for the lamp.

At a point substantially opposite the fingerpiece 25, the switch-member is furnished with a contact-pin 27, adapted, when the said switch-member is turned in one direction, to engage with a contact-finger 28 formed upon the inner end of a conductor-plate 29 applied to the inner face of the insulating-ring 18, to which it is clamped by an outwardlyturned finger 30 formed integral with it.

The outer end of the conductor-plate 29 aforesaid is in electrical engagement with the periphery of the outer end of a conical reflector. 31, the i er end of Which is formed structures with a threaded socket-sleeve 32, which re ceives and mounts the threaded base or stem 33 of an incandescent electric lamp-bulb 34 of any approved type. The socket-sleeve 32 of the reflector 31 is axially in line with a concentric guard-opening formed in the switcl-rmeindeer 15, which, in the embodiment of my invention under consideration, is struck dewnw-andly to form a concentric guard-cone 36, the several purposes of which will be hereinafter set forth.

The center-contact 37 of the incandescent elect ic lamp-bulb 34 engages, as is usual, with the positive electrode 38 of the adj acent electro-chemical cell 39 within the .casing 17 The cell '39 rests upon a corresponding .cell .40,,which, in turn, rests ,upon a spiral spring 41 located in the bottom of the casing 17 and exerting a constant effort to maintain the electrode 38 in engagement with the center-contact 37. Furthermore, the spring v41 electrically connects the bottom of the cell with the casing 1'7.

.As thus organized, the switch-member 15 virtually divides the interior of the lamp into 'a cell-chamber 42 and a lamp-chamber 43, so that, in case of the disintegration of the electrochemical cells, any efllorescence of material thereof will be practically prevented from working its way into the lamp-chamber 43 and corroding the reflector and the contacts 27 and 28 and otherwise fouling the parts in the cap, which would otherwise have to be carefully disassembled and cleaned before'jthe introduction of fresh electro-chemical cells.

On account of the interposition of the switch-member between the flange 16 of the casing 17 and the inner edge of the insulatingring 18 carried by the cap 19, it will be understood that, by turning the cap one way or the other with reference to the casing, theamount of frictional restraint imposed upon the oscillation of the switch-member by its fingerpiece 25 may be varied asdesired, or this re- Straint maybe made so great that the switchllember will be locked in any chosen position.

It will be apparent from reference to Figs. 1 and 4, that while the lamp is grasped in its middle portion by the hand, its switcl1mei nber 15 may be easily operated for turning the light .on orotl' by moving the contact-pin 27 into and out of engagement with the contactlinger 28, the current flowing as is usual in lamps of this class.

As shown herein, the switch-member is self-centering, since, on account of its form, it will center itself within the cap 19 with respect to the axis of the lamp, without assist ance on the part of the assembler and without the eniplcymentof any fastening means after its finger piece 25 has been passed through the slot 26 in the cap, which at this time is held open sideup.

The s "itch-member 15 also has a highly important guard function, as will now be de scribed. In assembling my improved handlainp, the base. 33 of the lamp-bulb is screwed into the sleeve-socket 32 of the reflector 31, which is then inserted into the insulatingring 18 of the cap 19. The finge r pie'ce 25 of the switch-member 15 is then passed through the slot 26 of the cap from the interior thereof, after which it is brought to rest upon the inner edge of the ring 18. The cap, with the several parts thus assembled within it, is now ready for application to the casing 17. This must be done against the counterurge of the spiral spring 41 in the bottom of the casing, exerting its effort through the eleotro c'ihemh cal cells. N- ow, in case the center-contact 37 of the bulb is-not brought into linear i'egiistration with the electrode 38, the tendency will be to cant the bulb 34 and with it'the;

reflector 31 with n the cap1=9. The degree of such c: nting is kept with-in suchlimits, by the guard action of the guard-opening 35 in the reflector 31, that jammingis avoided and the power of the spring 41 utilized to bringthe lamp and reflector into line with the-major axis of the lamp when the cap is finally screwed home ,on the casing. I v

In addition to the function ofuthe switchmember 15 in guarding the lamp-:bulb and; the reflector against undue canting, as above described, it performs, as shown in Figs. 1 to 7 inclusive, another highly important guarding function in limiting the outward movenient of the cells, whereby they. are prevented from becoming short-circuited and thus :e-X- hausted, in case of aocidenhas' wellas in guarding against the break-age of the lampbulb under certain conditions.

In case the lamp-bulb should, as not infre quently happens, unscrew and move outward, the electrode '38 of the cell 39 would ordinarily, under the urge of the spring :41, move into engagement with the threaded socketsleeve 32 .of the reflector 31, andthiu-s shortcircuit the cells, whichwould result. in their speedy exhaustion. Under my improvement, such a result'isguarded against by the inner end of the guard-cone 36, which will be engaged by the outer face of the. cell 39, and the outward movement thereof, under the urge of the spring 41, positively stopped before its electrode .38 can engage withthe edge of the socket-sleeve 32, as described,

I The guard-cone 36 also, by positively limiting the outward movement of the cell 39, as j ust above described, prevents thesame from pushing the glass of the bulb :34 against the inner face of the lens24, resultingin the destruction of thelamp-bulb; v

In Figs. 8, 9 and 10,1 have shown a modified form of my plate-like switch-member, which corresponds in, form and function to the switch-member 15, but instead of being oscillated around its axis for the purpose of making and breaking the circuit, it is adapted to be flexed at a right angle to its plane for that purpose. With this end in View, its central portion is formed on either side of its ifinger-piece 25 with semi-circular cuts 44 inholding the latter in tersected by radial cuts 45 in line with the opposite edges of its said finger-piece, whereby the central portion of the switch-member, including its conical portion 36, may be flexed with respect to its plane on the tongue 46 lying between the inner ends of the semi-circular cuts 44. An upward thrust on the finger-piece 25 brings its conical portion 36 into (Eontact)with the reflector 31 at the point 47 Fig. 9

In the modified form shown by Fig. 11, the lamp is provided with a suspension bail 48, the ends of which are turned inwardly through the cap 19 and insulating-ring 18,

place in the cap. I claim: 1. A portable electric hand-lamp, having a casing, an electro-chemical cell, a lampbulb in the circuit thereof, and a peripherally- Inounted plate-like disk-shaped switch-member interposed in the said circuit for makingand breaking the same, located in a plane transverse to the axis of the lamp and formed with a guard-opening receiving the stem of the lamp bulb and guarding the same against c'anting in assembling the lamp. 2. A portable electric hand-lamp, having a casing, a cap therefor, an electro-chemical cell in the casing, a lamp-bulb in the said cap, an insulating-ring in the cap, and a plate-like switch-member interposed between the-upperedge of the casing and the lower edge of the said ring in a plane transverse to the axis of the lamp and movable for making and breaking the circuit of the said cell through the lamp-bulb.

3. A portable electric hand-lamp, having a casing, a cap therefor, an electro-chemical cell in the casing, a lamp-bulb in the cap, an oscillatable plate-like switch-member located in the cap in a plane transverse to the axis of the lamp-structure, an insulatingring in the cap, contacts carried by the said ring and switch-member, and means for oscillating the latter to engage and disengage the contacts for making and breaking the circuit through the cell and bulb.

4. A portable electric hand-lamp, having a casing, a cap therefor, an electro-chemical cell in the casing, a lamp-bulb in the cap, anoscillatable plate-like switch-member located in the cap in a plane transverse to the axis of the lamp-structure, an insulatingring in the cap, contacts carried by the said ring and switch-member, means for oscillatirig the latter to engage and disengage the contacts for making and breaking the circuit through the cell and bulb, and means extending outwardly through the cap, providing for the operation of the switch-member and the suspension of the lamp-structure as a unit.

5. A portable electric hand-lamp, having a casing, a cap therefor, an electro-chemical cell in the casing, a lamp-bulb in the cap, an insulating-ring in the cap, a plate-like oscillatable disk-shaped switch-member located in a plane transverse to the axis of the 1amp-structure, interposed between the inner edge of the said ring and the outer end of the said casing and frictionally gripped between the same with variable restraint as to its oscillatable movement, contacts carried by the ring and switch-member, and means projecting outwardly through the cap for oscillating the switch-member to make and break the circuit through the cell and undue canting when the lamp is being assembled, contacts carried by the said ring and switch-member, and means pro1ecting outwardly through the cap for oscillating the switch-member to engage and disengage the said cont-acts for making and breaking the circuit through the cell and lamp-bulb.

7. A portable electric hand-lamp, having a casing, a cap therefor, an electro-chemical cell having outward movement in the said casing, a conical reflector having a threaded sleeve-socket located in the said cap, a lampbulb having a threaded stem installed in the said socket of the reflector, and a peripherally-mounted plate-like disk-shaped oscillatable switch-member located in the said cap- 2 in a plane transverse to the axis of the lamp and having an inwardly-extending concentric guard-cone receiving the said threaded sleeve-socket of the reflector and forming a positive stop for limiting the outward movement of the cell, whereby injury to the lamp-bulb is avoided and the circuit prevented from being accidentally closed by the engagement of the electrode of the cell with the said reflector.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification.

PAUL R. PUCKETT. 

